If you look at it one way, the difference between sympathy and empathy is just a single letter, or two—but in reality, it’s much deeper than that. When you know exactly what to say, there’s no way you can get it wrong either on paper or when you intend to say either of the words empathy vs sympathy in a sentence.
In this article, you’ll learn when to use each term, the key differences between them, and whether there’s a simple trick to always get it right. By the end, you'll be able to navigate conversations with confidence, knowing exactly how to express understanding in the right way.
What is Sympathy?
Sympathy is when you feel sorry for someone else's misfortune, but you remain emotionally detached. You recognize their pain, but you don’t necessarily feel it as they do.
Think of sympathy as standing on the shore while someone is drowning, you acknowledge their struggle, but you don’t jump into the water with them to know what it feels like to drown.
There is a way of expressing sympathy, which can either be through actions, such as listening to somebody’s concerns actively or you can express it through your words by:
Sending a “Get Well Soon” card to a sick friend.
Saying, “I’m sorry for your loss” when someone is grieving.
Feeling bad for a homeless person but walking past without engaging.
How Sympathy Works:
Sympathy is when you recognize that someone is suffering and feel sorry for them, but you don't necessarily feel what they are feeling. It’s a way of expressing concern without fully stepping into their emotional world. Sympathy keeps an emotional barrier between you and the person who is struggling.
Say you’re walking down the street and see a homeless person sitting on the sidewalk, shivering in the cold. You feel bad for them and think, That’s really unfortunate. I wish they weren’t in this situation. Maybe you even drop some money in their cup or give them a warm drink before moving on.
That’s sympathy. You acknowledge their suffering and express concern, but you don’t fully engage in their pain or try to understand what it's like to be in their position.
What is Empathy?
Empathy is when you put yourself in someone else’s shoes and genuinely feel what they are going through. Instead of just acknowledging their pain, you understand it on a personal level.
So if someone is drowning, and instead of just watching, you jump in and swim with them. That’s empathy, you experience their emotions as if they were your own.
There are plenty of ways you can express your empathy toward a person either knowingly or unknowingly, and this is how:
Saying, “I can’t imagine how painful this must be for you, but I’m here to listen.”
Crying with a friend who just lost a loved one.
Holding someone’s hand and comforting them when they are scared.
How Empathy Works:
Empathy, on the other hand, is about feeling with someone. It’s when you step into their shoes, try to see the world from their perspective, and share in their emotions. Instead of just noticing someone's pain, you experience it with them.
Let’s go back to the homeless person on the street. Instead of just feeling sorry for them, you imagine what it must be like to be in their situation; how cold, lonely, and hopeless they might feel. You sit down next to them, ask how they’re doing, and have a conversation. Maybe you offer help in a way that acknowledges their dignity.
That’s empathy. You’re not just seeing their suffering from the outside; you’re connecting with them on a human level.
Why People Get Confused Between Sympathy and Empathy
The confusion between sympathy and empathy comes from the fact that both involve recognizing someone's pain and also because these two words are kind of similar. The key difference is in how we respond:
Sympathy is feeling for someone. ("I feel bad for you.")
Empathy is feeling with someone. ("I understand what you're going through.")
People often confuse them because sympathy feels like a good response—it’s polite, caring, and socially acceptable. However, while sympathy acknowledges pain, it doesn’t provide comfort in the same way that empathy does.
Think of it this way:
Sympathy is like saying, "That must be hard."
Empathy is like saying, "I’ve been through something similar, and I get it."
Another reason for the confusion is that empathy takes more emotional effort. To truly empathize, you have to open yourself up, be vulnerable, and sometimes relive your own past struggles. That can be uncomfortable, which is why many people default to sympathy instead.
Sympathy vs Empathy: Let WPS Office AI Spell Check Clarify the Difference
Some words are difficult to understand and fully grasp their true meaning—sympathy and empathy are perfect examples. Sympathy allows you to acknowledge someone's pain from a distance, while empathy immerses you in their emotions, making you feel their struggles as if they were your own. And when you're writing a condolence email, a college essay, or a letter of support, expressing the right emotion can make a huge difference. WPS Office helps refine your tone with AI writing assistance, grammar suggestions, and spell check, ensuring you use sympathy and empathy correctly while keeping your message clear and impactful.
For example, when drafting a college application essay, you might want to show empathy by sharing a personal experience that shaped your perspective. WPS AI can help rephrase sentences to make your story more engaging and enhance emotional depth without sounding forced. Similarly, if you're composing a professional condolence email, WPS Office can adjust the tone, ensuring your message is respectful and appropriate. With its tone suggestions, grammar corrections, and clarity-enhancing tools, WPS Office ensures that your words resonate with your audience, making your writing more authentic, polished, and emotionally effective.
How to Use WPS Office AI Spell Check
The spell check tool in WPS Office detects errors with perfection, helping you spot and correct mistakes before they even become an issue. Here’s how you can use it:
Step 1: First, open your document in WPS Writer and head over to the “Review” tab at the top.
Step 2: Under the Review section, locate the "AI Spell Check" option and click it to activate the AI Spell Checker.
Step 3: After the AI Spell Checker opens, the panel will appear on the right side of your screen, showing all suggested corrections. If you're in a rush, simply click "Accept All" to accept all suggestions at once.
Step 4: For a more detailed review, click on any underlined word (marked with a red line) in your document, and the correct word will appear in context. Hit the "Accept" button to apply the fix and remove the suggestion.
How to Download WPS Office AI Spell Check
Starting with the WPS Office AI Spell Checker made writing less stressful, and getting it was easy:
Step 1: Start by opening your web browser and heading over to the WPS Office website to download the setup file.
Step 2: On the website, click the "Get it Now" button to start the download.
Step 3: The download will begin automatically. After it completes, double-click the file to start the installation process.
Step 4: Once WPS Office is installed, open it and start using its features right away.
FAQs
1. How is sympathy different from empathy?
Sympathy is feeling for someone, acknowledging their pain from a distance, while empathy is feeling with them, truly sharing their emotions and experience.
2. Am I empathetic or sympathetic?
It depends on how you respond to others’ emotions—if you acknowledge their pain from a distance, you're sympathetic; if you deeply share their feelings, you're empathetic.
3. Can AI grammar checkers help distinguish between sympathy and empathy?
AI spell checkers can help spot mistakes in word usage, like confusing sympathy and empathy, which have distinct meanings. An advanced tool like WPS AI Spell Check can detect such errors and suggest context-appropriate corrections, ensuring clearer and more precise writing.
Mastering the Art of Empathy and Sympathy in Writing
While expressing the right emotion at the right moment is important, writing the right emotion is equally crucial when crafting impactful messages, essays, or emails. Whether you're conveying sympathy in a condolence note or weaving empathy into a personal story, choosing the right words matters. With WPS Office's AI-powered features, including spell check, tone adjustments, and writing assistance, you can ensure your message is clear, appropriate, and emotionally effective—helping you communicate with confidence and authenticity.
